Seventh Review Conference

The Seventh Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention was held at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 5 to 22 December 2011. The Conference concluded on 22 December 2011 with the adoption of its Final Document.

The Preparatory Committee for the review conference was held in Geneva from 13-15 April 2011.

Ambassador Paul van den IJssel of the Netherlands was President of the Seventh Review Conference and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee.

Communications from the President, updates on his activities and contact details can be found on the President's page.

Germ Gambits: The Bioweapons Dilemma, Iraq and Beyond (Stanford Univ. Press, 2011) presents the history of the biological inspections of the United Nations Special Commission in Iraq, as told by the inspectors themselves. This engaging, analytical historical narrative explains what the biological inspectors knew when and how they knew it as well as how they outmaneuvered the Iraqis and provides the inspectors’ blueprint to “get it right” with regard to the verification challenges associated with the bioweapons ban and the author’s roadmap to address the overall biological threats facing the world today. Smithson will present highlights of the book, focusing on lessons that can enhance confidence in compliance with the BWC.

13.00-15.00 IAP: The Global Network of Science Academies - Report of the Workshop on Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the BWCand University of Bradford - Key Points for the Review Conference (Room XXIV)

In 1991 The Future of Biological Weapons was one of the first books on the efforts to ban biological weapons. The future of Biological Weapons Revisited will be presented by the author of the revised edition, Koos van der Bruggen, and the author of the original edition, Barend ter Haar. Sandwiches and free copies of the book will be served.

Wednesday 7 December

09.00-10.00 Harvard-Sussex Program - Results from Examining the role of Science and Technology reviews in the Biological Weapons Convention (Room XXIV)

09.00-10.00 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute - Addressing Future Challenges to the BTWC in Connection with S&T Developments (Room XXV)

13.00-15.00 University of Hamburg - Contributing to the Article X Debate. Monitoring International Trade in Biological Dual Use Equipment (with Izaak Wind, former Deputy Director, Tariff and Trade Affairs, of the World Customs Organization (WCO)) (Room XXIV)

The November 2011 edition of the Nonproliferation Review is devoted exclusively to issues salient to the Seventh Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. To ensure that a wide range of opinion on issues central to the BWC regime are considered, this special issue features thirteen distinguished international specialists from ten countries around the globe. The panel chair will provide an overview of this special edition of the Nonproliferation Review, with individual panelists summarizing their articles.

Panel chair
Amy E. Smithson, PhD, of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (guest co-editor for this special edition of the Nonproliferation Review)

Panelists

Ursela Jenal, PhD, of Jenal & Partners Biosafety Consulting,

Ralf Trapp, PhD, consultant

Filippa Lentzos, PhD, of the London School of Economics and Politics BIOS Centre, and,

Cindy Vestergaard, PhD, of the Danish Institute for International Studies.

09.00- 10.00 U.S. National Academies of Science - Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High Containment Biological Laboratories - Summary of a Workshop and Report Release (Room XXIII)
For more information, please click here.

In June 2011, a seminar entitled "The Biological Weapons Convention, Biosecurity and the Industry – Management of the biological proliferation risk in life sciences institutions" was held in Brussels at the initiative of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Belgian Biosafety Association (BBP). The seminar gathered representatives of government bodies and representatives from pharmaceutical and biotech companies and their sector federations in order to to exchange views on how to manage biological dual-use issues and to look at the complementary role that biorisk management standards can play with regard to the implementation of the BTWC. Introduced by Belgian Ambassador François Roux, Ursula Jenal of Xibios and Jenal & Partners and Frank Meeussen of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present the main lessons learnt from this seminar. The related paper “Setting a Standard For Stakeholdership. Industry Contribution to a Strengthened Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention”, edited by Dr. Jean-Pascal Zanders of the EU Institute for Security Studies will be presented. “

13.00-15.00 International Council for the Life Sciences - The Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference Process: Health Security and the BWC (Room XXIV)

The BBIC Process is a network of individuals from 22 countries aimed at helping develop healthier and more secure communities in the Middle East and North Africa region through encouraging the development of comprehensive national and regional biosafety and biosecurity strategies. The aim of these strategies is to help governments and communities develop the human, physical and legislative capacity and infrastructure to permit effective national preparedness, planning and emergency response to major biological events, be they from natural outbreaks or accidental release, or from an act of warfare or terrorism. Members of the BBIC Process will present and answer questions on the work conducted to date and plans for future actions, and on how this work helps promote the objectives of the BWC.

Monday 19 December

13.00-15.00 Poland - Biosafety and biosecurity: implications of the convergence of biology and chemistry (Room XXIV)